1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an improved prosthetic device for active amputees, and more particularly to an improved prosthetic leg for use in skiing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past 10 years there have been numerous technological advances in the field of prosthetics. In particular, an amputee has a wide range of selection of prosthetic legs to choose from. Along with the general type of prosthesis for walking, there has been a concurrent demand for prostheses which enable an amputee to lead a more active lifestyle. Much effort has been made in the industry to develop products for hiking, running, climbing, and even such rigorous sports as basketball.
Unfortunately, the advances in prostheses have not produced any developments for an amputee who prefers skiing as a recreation or sport. Currently, an amputee has the option of fitting a prosthesis or, in some instances, the lower portion of a stump into a conventional ski boot and then to the ski, or simply skiing one legged with poles having ski runners. For an amputee to fit a ski boot onto the stump is quite awkward as the boot may weigh up to four or five pounds. Walking with such a bulky and rigid boot under normal circumstances would also be extremely difficult for an amputee. The alternative to wearing the boot is to remove it and carry it to and from the ski slopes, which is inconvenient.
Skiers prefer to have various levels of flexibility in the skis, bindings and boots when facing different terrains. In general, it is better to have more flexibility on the advanced slopes with many moguls where the skier develops more inertia so that the ski will have a greater range of motion and more closely follow the contours. Likewise, it is desirable to have a stiffer or less flexible ski/boot combination when descending a less rigorous, flatter run to avoid excessive back and forth wobbling. All ski boots are made fairly rigid and designed to fit tightly to one's leg, with a correspondingly limited range of motion. Ski boots are not intended to be used by amputees, and correspondingly, prosthetic devices are not suitable for fitting precisely into ski boots. Strapping a boot onto the end of a prosthetic device is a relatively poor compromise which does not enable an amputee to fully utilize the range of motion needed to ski varied terrains.
Every four years, the Paralympics follows the regular Olympics, with the competition being just as fierce, although not as highly publicized. Downhill amputee ski racers and their sponsors have for years attempted to get an edge on the competition by developing better skiing equipment for amputees. Regrettably, even given the high profile, financing and concentrated effort of such sportsmen and designers, the technology has not advanced much beyond the conventional boot method.
The present invention provides a new and improved prosthetic leg for use in skiing, which overcomes the aforementioned deficiencies.